News

Gregg Powers To Menards Infiniti Pro Series Win

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Indy Racing League Menards Infiniti Pro Series driver Travis Gregg dominated an 11-car field at Kentucky Speedway today and brought home a wire-to-wire win in "The Bluegrass 100" on "The Louisville Courier-Journal Pole Day."

Gregg grabs his third win of the season through nine starts and the third of his two-year series career. His other victories came from the pole position earlier this season on March 6 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and on June 11 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Today's triumph moves Gregg from third to second in the championship standings. He trails series leader Wade Cunningham by 27 points entering the series August 21 race at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

Cunningham charged from the eighth starting spot to finish second in his No. 33 Mulitmatic Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone and Marco Andretti finished third, just 0.0009 of a second behind Cunningham.

"This is really exciting, leading every lap from the pole," Gregg said. "I have a lot of friends and family here today and it's great to get a win in front of them. This is an important race for us to get back into the points standings and I think we took a good chunk out today."

The 27-year-old drew off to a multiple-second lead over Jay Drake and Jon Herb in the opening laps and survived his first of two tense moments in his run when the right rear wheel of his No. 7 Lucas Oil / Argosy Casino/SSM Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone made contact with the SAFER Barrier System exiting Turn 3.

"At first, I thought something broke, but it didn't turn out to be a big deal," Gregg said. "I just had to get refocused and continue on."

Gregg did not lose control the car and was in front on Lap 48 of the 67-lap affair when the lone caution of the race flew for smoke in the No. 6 AERCON Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone of then third-place driver Jon Herb in Turn 1.

The race restarted on Lap 55 and Gregg drove away from the dramatic battle for position between Cunningham and Andretti to cruise to a 1.7500-second win.